Choosing a session recording tool can be overwhelming. There are dozens of options, each with different strengths, pricing models, and target audiences. We've tested the most popular tools to help you find the right fit.
What We Evaluated
We looked at five core capabilities:
- Session Replay — Quality and reliability of recordings
- Event Tracking — Ability to track clicks, custom events, and user actions
- User Profiles — Individual user timelines and identification
- Heatmaps — Click and scroll heatmaps
- Debug/Technical — Console logs, network requests, error tracking
Let's break down how each tool performs.
The Contenders
Microsoft Clarity — Best Free Option
Microsoft's free analytics tool is hard to beat on price. It offers unlimited session recordings, basic heatmaps, and integrates well with other Microsoft products.
Strengths: Completely free, no session limits, decent heatmaps, backed by Microsoft infrastructure.
Weaknesses: Limited event tracking, almost no user identification features, basic filtering. You see sessions, but connecting them to individual users is nearly impossible.
Best for: Teams with zero budget who need basic session recordings.
Hotjar — The Popular Choice
Hotjar (now part of Contentsquare) is probably the most well-known tool in this space. It's been around for years and has a polished interface.
Strengths: Excellent heatmaps, good survey/feedback tools, familiar interface, strong brand recognition.
Weaknesses: Session replay quality has lagged behind newer tools. Event tracking is limited, and user profiles are basic. The Contentsquare acquisition has also pushed pricing upward.
Best for: Marketing teams focused on heatmaps and surveys.
FullStory — Enterprise Powerhouse
FullStory offers arguably the best session replay quality on the market. Their "Omnisearch" feature lets you search for any element users interacted with.
Strengths: Exceptional replay quality, powerful search, strong enterprise features, excellent event tracking.
Weaknesses: Expensive. Very expensive. Pricing starts high and scales quickly. For startups and small teams, it's often out of reach. The tool can also feel overwhelming for simple use cases.
Best for: Enterprise teams with budget who need the most powerful replay technology.
LogRocket — Developer-Focused
LogRocket positions itself as a "frontend monitoring" tool rather than just session recording. It captures console logs, network requests, and Redux state.
Strengths: Excellent for debugging. Captures technical details that other tools miss. Good integration with error tracking workflows.
Weaknesses: Replay quality isn't as smooth as dedicated recording tools. User-facing analytics (heatmaps, user profiles) are secondary concerns. Can be complex to set up.
Best for: Development teams debugging production issues.
Mouseflow — Balanced Middle Ground
Mouseflow has been around since 2010 and offers a solid all-around package. Good heatmaps, decent recordings, reasonable pricing.
Strengths: Strong heatmaps, form analytics, funnel tracking, established product.
Weaknesses: User profiles and identification are basic. The interface feels dated compared to newer tools. Event tracking is limited compared to modern alternatives.
Best for: Teams who prioritize heatmaps but also want session recordings.
PostHog — Open Source Analytics
PostHog is an open-source product analytics platform that includes session recording as one of many features. You can self-host or use their cloud.
Strengths: Open source, self-hosting option, good event tracking, feature flags, A/B testing all in one platform.
Weaknesses: Jack of all trades, master of none. Session replay is good but not exceptional. Can be complex to set up and maintain if self-hosting.
Best for: Technical teams who want an all-in-one open-source solution.
OpenReplay — Self-Hosted Alternative
OpenReplay is another open-source option, but focused specifically on session replay with developer-friendly features.
Strengths: Self-hosted (data stays on your servers), good technical debugging features, transparent pricing.
Weaknesses: Requires infrastructure management. Heatmaps and user profiles are less developed than commercial alternatives.
Best for: Teams with privacy requirements who can manage their own infrastructure.
Crazy Egg — Heatmap Pioneer
Crazy Egg was one of the original heatmap tools. It's simple, focused, and does heatmaps well.
Strengths: Great heatmaps, simple interface, A/B testing features.
Weaknesses: Session recordings feel like an afterthought. Limited event tracking, basic user identification. The product hasn't evolved as much as competitors.
Best for: Teams who only need heatmaps.
Peeke — User-Centric Analytics
Peeke takes a different approach by focusing on individual user journeys rather than aggregate data. Every visitor gets a profile with their complete history.
Strengths: Strong user profiles and identification. See every session, click, and event tied to individual users. Clean event tracking with custom events. Generous free tier.
Weaknesses: Heatmaps are basic compared to Hotjar or Crazy Egg. Fewer enterprise features than FullStory.
Best for: Product teams who want to understand individual user behavior, not just aggregates.
Comparison Summary
| Tool | Replay | Events | User Profiles | Heatmaps | Debug | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peeke | ★★★★ | ★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★ | ★★ | Free tier |
| Microsoft Clarity | ★★★ | ★★ | ★ | ★★★ | ★ | Free |
| Hotjar | ★★★ | ★★ | ★★ | ★★★★ | ★ | $$ |
| FullStory | ★★★★★ | ★★★★ | ★★★ | ★★★ | ★★ | $$$$ |
| LogRocket | ★★★ | ★★★★ | ★★ | ★★ | ★★★★ | $$$ |
| Mouseflow | ★★★★ | ★★★ | ★★ | ★★★★ | ★ | $$ |
| PostHog | ★★★★ | ★★★★ | ★★★ | ★★★ | ★★ | $$$ |
| OpenReplay | ★★★★ | ★★★ | ★★ | ★★★ | ★★★★ | $$ |
| Crazy Egg | ★★★ | ★★ | ★★ | ★★★★ | ★ | $$ |
How to Choose
Choose based on your primary need:
- Need heatmaps? → Hotjar, Mouseflow, or Crazy Egg
- Need debugging? → LogRocket or OpenReplay
- Need user profiles? → Peeke or FullStory
- Need everything free? → Microsoft Clarity or Peeke's free tier
- Need enterprise scale? → FullStory or Contentsquare
- Need self-hosting? → PostHog or OpenReplay
Consider your budget:
Free options (Clarity, Peeke free tier) work well for small sites. Mid-range tools ($30-100/month) suit most growing companies. Enterprise tools ($500+/month) make sense when you have dedicated analytics teams.
Think about your workflow:
If you care about individual users—understanding who they are, what they did across sessions, and identifying them by email—tools with strong user profiles matter more than heatmap quality.
If you're doing conversion optimization on landing pages, heatmaps might be more valuable than deep user profiles.
Final Thoughts
There's no single "best" tool. The right choice depends on what you're trying to learn and how much you're willing to spend.
For teams focused on understanding individual user journeys and behavior patterns, user-centric tools offer insights that aggregate heatmaps can't provide. For pure conversion optimization on landing pages, traditional heatmap tools remain valuable.
The good news: most tools offer free trials or free tiers. Test a few before committing.